South Korean Movie Reviews »
A Millionaire on the Run (2012) Movie Review
“A Millionaire on the Run” is another Korean caper flick that mixes comedy, drama, thrills and social commentary, directed by Kim Ik Ro, who previously worked as assistant director on horror “The Doll Master”...
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Deranged (2012) Movie Review
Although early trailers seemed to suggest an Asian stab at the increasingly overpopulated zombie genre, “Deranged” thankfully turned out to be something very different and considerably more intriguing. Directed by Park Jeong Woo (“Big...
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Don’t Click (2012) Movie Review
Some 14 years after Sadako crawled from the television set, the influence of Hideo Nakata’s classic “Ringu” is still very much in evidence in the Asian horror genre. New Korean shocker “Don’t Click” is...
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Romance Joe (2011) Movie Review
“Romance Joe” marks the debut of writer director Lee Kwang Kuk, who served his apprenticeship by working on several films by Korean master Hong Sang Soo including “HaHaHa” and “Like You Know It All”....
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Miss Conspirator (2012) Movie Review
“Miss Conspirator” is a Korean comedy action romance directed by Park Chul Kwan, known for his popular 2001 gangster spoof “Hi Dharma!”. The film is headlined by top actress Ko Hyun Jung, star of...
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Dangerously Excited (2011) Movie Review
“Dangerously Excited” is another Korean comedy with a musical theme, though this time with more of an indie vibe, following popular character Yoon Je Moon (“Battlefield Heroes”) as a straitlaced civil servant who gets...
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In Another Country (2012) Movie Review
Acclaimed Korean director and international festival favourite Hong Sang Soo returns with “In Another Country”, his 15th outing and another playful meditation on life and relationships, washed down as ever with plenty of alcohol....
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The Thieves (2012) Movie Review
Dong-hoon Choi’s “The Thieves” successfully revisits the heist genre that first brought him to fame. This time around, the production uses an ensemble cast of established, young and veteran actors from Korea and Hong...
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A Muse (2012) Movie Review
“Lolita” goes Korean with “A Muse”, the story of a 70 year old poet falling in love with a young high school girl. Based upon the popular and controversial novel “Eun Gyo” by Park...
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The King of Pigs (2011) Movie Review
South Korea isn’t a country traditionally associated with animation, with only a few films like “Wonderful Days” or the recent kiddie flick “Leafie, a Hen into the Wild” having gained widespread releases. As such,...
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As One (2012) Movie Review
“As One” is a Korean drama mixing two of the country’s most popular cinematic themes, North-South reunification and sports. The true life story is based upon the fascinating events surrounding the 1991 World Table...
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Nameless Gangster (2012) Movie Review
Choi Min Sik, one of Korea’s most respected and popular actors, stars in “Nameless Gangster”, a crime biopic that charts the rise of a customs official to the heights of the criminal underworld. Written...
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Over My Dead Body (2012) Movie Review
Korean cinema loves a good caper, and with “Over My Dead Body”, audiences get just that, as a wacky cast of oddballs try to get their hands on the corpse of a cheating company...
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You’re My Pet (2011) Movie Review
“You’re My Pet” is a Korean romantic comedy with a rather odd premise, revolving around a woman who takes in a strange young man on the basis that he acts like her pet dog,...
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Encapsulated Cinema: Detention, No Mercy, and The Dark Knight Rises
Detention (2011) “Torque” Director Joseph Kahn’s genre-bending head game “Detention” is the millennial “Scream”, except a lot more scatter-brained and unfocused. The film chronicles the adventures of several high school students, all of whom...
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Gabi (aka Russian Coffee, 2012) Movie Review
Although coffee might not sound like the most obvious hook for a thriller, it’s very much at the heart of romantically tinged Korean espionage drama “Gabi”. Another period piece for “Hwang Jin Yi” director...
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Love Fiction (2012) Movie Review
Although the idea of yet another Korean romantic comedy might not exactly set the pulse racing, “Love Fiction” does have something a little different to offer, attempting to follow realistically the many ups and...
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Unbowed (2011) Movie Review
Korean films rarely seem to portray the country’s justice system in a particularly positive light, and that’s certainly the case with “Unbowed”, based on a headline-grabbing real life case from 2007 in which a...
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Helpless (2012) Movie Review
“Helpless” is a Korean suspense thriller from female Korean director Byun Young Joo (“Flying Boys”), based on the best-selling Japanese novel “All She was Worth” by author Miyabe Miyuki. Following an increasingly desperate man’s...
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Howling (2012) Movie Review
Despite its title and killer canine premise, “Howling” isn’t a werewolf horror, but a crime mystery based upon the award winning novel “Kogoeru Kiba” (“Fang Freezing”) by Japanese author Nonami Asa. The film is...
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